Department for Transport

Department for Transport: Migrant Workers

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many citizens of non-UK EU countries work in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The table below provides details on the number of citizens of non-UK EU countries working in the Department for Transport as at 30th September 2018. The figures provided cannot be considered as comprehensive for the following reasons; The data provided only represents the number of staff where nationality has been declared by the individual and captured on an HR system.The Central Department, Executive Agencies and NDPB capture some nationality data during the recruitment of new entrants but this has not always been the case historically.This data is also not always stored on HR systems after recruitment, because different areas of the department have not operated the same HR systems, and there has not been a consistent approach to this data between the centre, the agencies and our NDPBs.   Number of staff recorded as non-UK EU citizensCentral Department63Executive Agencies36Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs)792  Please note, although as a non-Ministerial Department, the Office of Rail and Road does not fall within the scope of this question, we have included it for the sake of completeness. Please note, the responses do not include information from Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), because DVSA’s HR System does not record the nationality of staff.

Shipping: Exhaust Emissions

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential environmental effect of (a) scrubber technology and (b) marine sulphur dumping on UK coastlines.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Government has not seen any evidence that the use of scrubbing technology would have a significant effect on the marine environment. All scrubbers must comply with mandatory Guidelines, which were developed by the International Maritime Organization, before they are allowed to become operational. The potential effects of the use of scrubber technologies on the marine environment was taken into consideration when developing the Guidelines. To be compliant, the systems collect and store any sulphur residue and solid particulate matter on-board the vessel, to be deposited at a port waste reception facility. Some scrubbers discharge treated wash water back into the sea – which is also controlled under the IMO Guidelines. There are ongoing studies which are looking at the impact of wash water discharges within European waters, which we are monitoring. At this stage, we are not aware of any significant issues which have been found. However, we will respond appropriately at international level, if these or any other studies, conclude that further controls are needed.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Conditions of Employment

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether staff in the Drive and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s contact centre have to record the time spent on toilet breaks during the working day.

Jesse Norman: Staff in the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s Contact Centre do not have to record the time spent on toilet breaks during the working day.

Plymouth Port: Domestic Visits

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and which (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have visited the Port of Plymouth in the last 12 months; when those visits took place; and how long they spent at the border in each of those visits.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Port of Plymouth has not been visited by Department for Transport ministers in the last 12 months. Numerous officials from across the Department for Transport engage with and visit the Port of Plymouth in the course of their duties. Due to the number and variety of official level engagements it is not possible to provide a detailed breakdown of these visits as the information could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Departmental visits to UK ports allow sufficient time for ministers and officials to observe port operations.

Aviation: Compensation

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to provide for the automatic provision of compensation in the event of a delayed flight.

Jesse Norman: There are no plans at present to legislate for automatic compensation for delayed flights. As part of the Aviation Strategy that is currently under development, The Government will consider how to simplify the compensation claim process for consumers.

Railways

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to announce which rail market-led proposals have been successful in securing approval to proceed to the next stage of the process; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many rail market-led proposals for the construction of new railways by private sector firms he has received; and if he will list those proposals.

Joseph Johnson: The department has received 30 responses to its call for ideas for market-led proposals to enhance the railway, which it launched in March this year. These submissions covered a wide range of railway enhancements, but the department cannot make an announcement about individual schemes at this time as these proposals were submitted in confidence and such disclosure may prejudice the commercial interests of the proposers. Individual promoters will be contacted later in the autumn.

Railways: Fares

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department was informed by the Rail Delivery Group of the expanded roll-out of the 26-30 railcard.

Joseph Johnson: The Rail Delivery Group oversaw the trial and implementation of the 26-30 Railcard. Officials meet regularly with Rail Delivery Group colleagues, and were notified of the expanded roll-out of the railcard before it was announced publicly.

Railways: Compensation

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2018 to Question 169712 on Railways: Franchises, whether his Department has any requirements in place to ensure that applications for delay repay or other compensation provisions are (a) user friendly and (b) not unreasonably burdensome.

Joseph Johnson: The majority of Department for Transport (DfT) franchisees are now under a contractual obligation to ensure that the claims process is user- friendly and not unreasonably burdensome: they are required to use all reasonable endeavours to make passengers aware of their right to claim compensation, by means such as making appropriate announcements on trains and making claims forms readily available, including on the franchisee’s website. The Government already requires new franchises to use technology to inform passengers pro-actively that they are entitled to claim, using Apps, email and onboard announcements. The Department will also continue to monitor and report on TOCs’ performance in making the claim process easier for passengers. In March this year, research conducted by Transport Focus on behalf of the Department for Transport highlighted that passenger satisfaction with the claim process has increased and that claims are also being dealt with more quickly, with 67% now resolved within two weeks compared to 48% in 2016. [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-delays-and-compensation-2018]

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Migrant Workers

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many citizens of non-UK EU countries work in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies.

Richard Harrington: It is not currently possible to establish how many citizens of non-UK EU countries are currently working in The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies. We do not centrally hold details of staff working for outsourced companies or agencies.

Electricity Interconnectors

Sir William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the (a) amount and (b) proportion of UK electricity supply will be provide by interconnectors in (a) 2020 and (b) 2025.

Claire Perry: The proportion of electricity that will be supplied by electricity imports by 2020 is expected to be 7.4%. The power supply sector is projected using the reference case scenario from the Energy and Emissions Projections 2017 (published January 2018), which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/updated-energy-and-emissions-projections-2017 Up to 2020, the reference scenario reflects current power sector policies. Beyond 2020, the reference scenario includes assumptions that go beyond current Government policy. The results do not indicate a preferred outcome and should be treated as illustrative.

Motor Vehicles: Hire Services

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the accountability of the vehicle rental industry to its customers; and how many complaints his Department has received on that industry in the last twelve months.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the accountability of the vehicle hire industry. In the last 12 months BEIS has received 5 complaints about consumer protection relating to the vehicle hire industry.

Electric Vehicles: Trade Competitiveness

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the competitiveness of the UK in major electric vehicle production investments over the last year; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Harrington: Our mission is to put the UK at the forefront of the design and manufacturing of zero emission vehicles, and for all new cars and vans to be effectively zero emission by 2040. The Road to Zero Strategy sets out a clear pathway to zero emissions, to give clarity and certainty to both industry and motorists. In 2017, 1 in 8 battery electric cars sold in Europe was made in the UK; in the first half of 2018 this figure reached 1 in 5. In 2017 the UK was the second largest market for ULEVs in the EU and third largest in Europe as a whole. By 2030 we want at least half of new cars sold, and as many as 70%, to be ultra low emission, alongside up to 40% of new vans. To achieve this, we are investing nearly £1.5bn‎ between April 2015 and March 2021, with grants available for plug in cars, vans, lorries, buses, taxis and motorcycles, and schemes to support charge point infrastructure at homes and workplaces and on residential streets. Along with the additional measures in our Industrial Strategy Automotive Sector Deal published in January, this adds up to one of the most comprehensive support packages in the world for the transition to zero emission vehicles.

Construction: Licensing

Faisal Rashid: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Government’s Industrial Strategy for Construction 2025, published in 2013, whether his Department has made plans to introduce a licensing scheme for building companies to protect consumers from rogue traders.

Richard Harrington: The Construction Sector Deal sets a strategy for improving the competitiveness of the UK construction sector through investing in innovation and skills development, and through improving business practices within the sector. It does not include a commitment to introduce a licensing scheme for the construction sector. We remain is a dialogue with the industry about this and other issues, as part of our regular discussions with the construction sector.

World War I and World War II: Medals

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a medal for women who worked in munitions factories during the world wars.

Kelly Tolhurst: Holding answer received on 01 November 2018



The Government recognises the hard work of the Munitions workers and is extremely grateful for their input and sacrifices made during both world wars often working in harsh conditions, to ensure that our soldiers were well equipped during the war effort. There are no plans to introduce a medal for munitions workers who served during the world wars. A commemorative badge is available thanks to the support of the BAE Systems Heritage Department and the efforts of the Munitions Workers Association. This is similar to those badges given to those who worked in the mines during the second world war – the so-called Bevan Boys. Surviving munitions workers and their families can approach the Munitions Workers Association to receive this commemorative badge.

Post Office: Finance

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding from the public purse his Department plans to allocate to the Post Office’s move from public ownership to franchise.

Kelly Tolhurst: Post Office Ltd is not moving from public ownership. Government has invested over £2 billion in the Post Office since 2010.While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. Thus, the precise allocation of funding to different programmes is an operational matter for Post Office Limited and is reported in their annual report and accounts which can be found on their website at http://corporate.postoffice.co.uk/.

Land Registry: Staff

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many staff (a) are employed directly by (b) are seconded to and (c) work under contract in HM Land Registry.

Kelly Tolhurst: HM Land Registry employs (a) 5293 members of staff directly, (b) 1 member of staff on secondment, and (c) 22 members of staff under contract.

Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership: Staff

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many FTE staff have been employed by the Coast to Capital LEP in each of the last five years.

Kelly Tolhurst: Holding answer received on 01 November 2018



Coast to Capital LEP has employed the following Full Time Equivalent Staff in the last five years: • March 2018 – 30• March 2017 – 25• March 2016 – 14• March 2015 – 12• March 2014 – 10  The increase from 2016 to 2017 was due to bringing the Growth Hub in-house and the start of the Enterprise Adviser Network.

Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what major projects have been funded by the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership since its creation.

Kelly Tolhurst: Holding answer received on 01 November 2018



Since Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership’s creation in 2011 it has funded 14 major projects with an LGF grant value of over £5m. These are as follows:  • Business Finance Growth Grants £6,525,765• Advanced Engineering Centre (University of Brighton) £7,000,000• Engineering and Digital Technology Park (University of Chichester) £8,000,000• Shoreham Flood Defences Adur Tidal Walls (Environment Agency) £6,000,000• Preston Barracks CRL (Brighton & Hove City Council) £7,700,000• Skills Capital Greater Brighton Metropolitan College £9,000,000• Crawley Growth Programme (West Sussex County Council) £14,640,000• Valley Gardens Phases 1+2 (Brighton & Hove City Council) £8,000,000• A259 Corridor Capacity Enhancement (West Sussex County Council) £7,491,180• Southern Gateway (Chichester District Council) £5,000,000• Pelham Campus (Greater Brighton Metropolitan College) £5,000,000• Fairfield Halls and College Green (London Borough of Croydon) £14,230,544• Blackrock - (Brighton & Hove City Council) £12,111,101• New Monks Farm (Adur and Worthing Borough Council) £5,710,384 Cumulative total of spend on major projects - £116,408,974.

Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the investment objectives are of the public funds distributed by the C2C Local Enterprise Partnership.

Kelly Tolhurst: Holding answer received on 01 November 2018



Under the Growth Deal agreed with Government Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has been awarded £304m from the Local Growth Fund for projects that benefit the local area and the economy. Projects are expected to deliver improvements for the local economy in line with the Strategic Economic Plan developed by the LEP. These include but are not limited to jobs, new homes and improvements in transport and skills.

Warships: Shipbuilding

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment the Government has made of the ability of UK shipyards to secure contracts to build military vessels for EU member states after the UK leaves the EU.

Richard Harrington: Following the publication in 2017 of the National Shipbuilding Strategy Government has established the Maritime Enterprise Working Group (MEWG) to coordinate discussions with industry around growth opportunities. The MEWG has commissioned a market evaluation and competitiveness study of UK Shipbuilding which will report in the New Year. This study will identify a prospective international commercial and naval product mix for UK shipbuilding; analyse market characteristics, prospective clients and competitor strengths and weaknesses. The study will assess the competitiveness and performance levels of UK shipbuilders and will identify actions needed to address any gaps. The Department is supporting this study. The ability of UK industry to win contracts to build military vessels for EU member states after the UK leaves the EU will remain a decision for EU member states. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is working closely with industry and other Government Departments to understand the implications and opportunities presented by the UK's departure from the European Union.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Migrant Workers

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many citizens of non-UK EU countries work in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Alien's Employment Act 1955 makes it a requirement that all FCO UK-based staff must be British nationals or dual nationals where one of those nationalities is British. We do not centrally hold details of the nationality of our UK-based staff who are dual nationals. To provide that information would require us to examine the individual record of each officer.Local staff are recruited directly by our overseas missions. Staff are therefore governed by local labour laws, not UK legisation, and are employed by the Mission in which they work. Local staff must have the right to work and reside in the country of the vacancy. We do not centrally hold details of the nationality of our staff employed locally overseas.The FCO does not hold details of the nationality of staff working for its agencies and its non-departmental public bodies.

Bahrain: Political Prisoners

Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the number of political prisoners in Bahrain; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The UK has an open dialogue with the Government of Bahrain on a range of issues, including human rights. We do not hold figures for the number of prisoners in Bahrain.

Bahrain: Detainees

Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the number of incidents involving Bahraini security forces torturing detainees in each year for which information is available; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The UK has an open dialogue with the Government of Bahrain on a range of issues, including human rights. Bahrain has a number of human rights oversight bodies which investigate allegations of mistreatment and human rights abuse, including the Ministry of Interior Ombudsman and the Special Investigations Unit. These bodies regularly release reports with figures on the number of allegations they have investigated. We continue to encourage anybody with concerns about treatment in detention to report them to the appropriate oversight body. We also encourage the oversight bodies to carry out swift and thorough investigations into any such claims.

Bahrain: Detainees

Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has recently raised the subject of the rape of female detainees in Bahrain with his Bahraini counterparts; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to answer of 23 October 2018 (PQ 180115). The UK has an open dialogue with the Government of Bahrain which allows us to raise issues of concern at a senior level both in London and Manama. Where we have been made aware of allegations we raise them in accordance with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's guidance on reporting such allegations. We continue to encourage anybody with concerns about treatment in detention to report them to the appropriate oversight body. We also encourage the oversight bodies to carry out swift and thorough investigations into any such claims.

Bahrain: Political Prisoners

Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, published in  2011, whether he has raised the issue of releasing detained political leaders with the Bahraini authorities since the publication of that report.

Alistair Burt: The British Embassy in Bahrain and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office continue to monitor events in Bahrain closely. The UK has an open dialogue with the Government of Bahrain which allows us to raise issues of concern at a senior level both in London and Manama. This dialogue covers all aspects of the UK-Bahrain relationship including human rights.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Apprentices

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many apprentices are employed in his Department.

Sir Alan Duncan: As at 30th September 2018, the FCO employed 35 UK-based apprentices.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £8.75 per hour.

Sir Alan Duncan: No UK-Based staff employed by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office are paid less than the Real Living Wage rate of £8.75 per hour.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £10.20 per hour.

Sir Alan Duncan: 111 UK-Based staff employed by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office are paid less than the London Living Wage rate of £10.20 per hour. However, all staff employed within Inner or Greater London receive at least this rate.

Spain: Floods

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assistance and advice was offered by the Government to UK nationals in Majorca following the recent flooding.

Sir Alan Duncan: We provided consular support to the family of a British couple who died in the flooding overnight on 9-10 October and offered support to the family of a dual national British-Spanish boy whose body was found the following week. We remained in close contact with Spanish authorities throughout this ordeal, including the Regional Government Crisis Centre. We updated FCO Travel Advice for Spain on the morning of 10 October, highlighting the localised impact of the flooding, directing British nationals in affected areas to follow advice from local authorities and publicising our contact details for any other affected British nationals in need of consular assistance. As always, this update was shared through our established social media channels.

Department of Health and Social Care

Contraceptives

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the amount of money each local authority spent on contraceptive services in each year since 2013.

Steve Brine: Since 2013/14 Public Health England has provided a ring fenced grant to upper tier local authorities for meeting all of their public health responsibilities. ‘Sexual health services - Contraception (prescribed functions)’ is one of the categories that local authorities spend their grant. The attached table shows the spend and budget data published to date against ‘Sexual health services - Contraception (prescribed functions)’. It is at the discretion of local authorities to decide how much of the public health grant they receive that they allocate to different local priorities, based on local needs.



Contraception reported spend
(Excel SpreadSheet, 27.92 KB)

Alcoholic Drinks: Rehabilitation

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of people requiring treatment for alcohol disorders accessed services in (a) England, (b) the West Midlands and (c) Birmingham.

Steve Brine: Public Health England collects data via the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System on patients receiving help in England for problems with drugs and alcohol, details of their treatment and the outcomes. The number of people receiving treatment for alcohol disorders in 2017-18 was 103,471 in England, 11,112 in West Midlands and 1,874 in Birmingham. Data for 2017-18 are the latest available. Estimates of the proportion of people requiring treatment in 2017-18 are currently not available.

Diabetes: Health Education

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has for future rounds of diabetes transformation funding to include digital education in its aim to improve the uptake of structured education.

Steve Brine: NHS England is supporting a number of work streams to support widening access into structured education through digital delivery channels. They include: - Healthy Living for People with type 2 Diabetes - an online, self-management support tool comprising of a structured education course;- £2 million being made available through the NHS Test Bed Programme to implement and evaluate digital delivery models for self-management education for people living with type 2 Diabetes; and- Support for clinical commissioning groups who received transformation funding in 2018/19 to boost provision and uptake of structured education, and to invest up to 25% of this funding in digital approaches should local areas wish to do so.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to introduce the new blood test for breast cancer screening to improve the rate of early diagnosis.

Steve Brine: There are no immediate plans to introduce the new blood test into screening or referral pathways. This is not included in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Guidelines (NG101) on referral and diagnosis (published in July 2018).

Department of Health and Social Care: Migrant Workers

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many citizens of non-UK EU countries work in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence do not hold this information. Evidence of nationality is checked at the point of recruitment into the Civil Service as part of wider pre-employment checks, but there is no requirement on departments to retain this information beyond the point at which it has served its purpose. The Health Research Authority, Human Tissue Authority and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority have nationality data available. However, due to low numbers we are able to provide this information due to the risk that individuals may be identified. The Department’s remaining agencies and non-departmental bodies hold nationality data and this has been included in the following table. Data is accurate as of 30 September. Contextual information to this data should be noted as it has a significant impact on the validity of the data held. OrganisationNumber of employees who are citizens of non-United Kingdom European Union countriesContextual InformationMedicines and Health products Regulatory Agency126Not applicablePublic Health England383Nationality data is not held for 135 members of staff.Care Quality Commission94Nationality data is not monitored once individuals have been verified at the recruitment stage. As a result, the actual number of EU nationals could differ. This also does not account for EU citizens married to UK nationals, or those who hold dual nationality.NHS Digital60Not applicableHealth Education England46Not applicableNHS Improvement30Nationality data is not held for 54.9% of staff.NHS England128Nationality data is not held for 29.1% of staff as this is based on individuals wishing to disclose this information.

Mental Health Services: Arthritis

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to mental health services for people living with rheumatoid arthritis.

Jackie Doyle-Price: We recognise that living with a long-term condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis, can also have an impact upon a person’s mental wellbeing. The guideline Rheumatoid arthritis in adults: management, updated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in 2018, sets out best practice in the diagnosis treatment care and support of people with rheumatoid arthritism. The guidance recommends that patients should be offered psychological interventions (for example, relaxation, stress management and cognitive coping skills to help them to adjust to living with their condition). Anyone suffering with a long-term condition who is suffering with their mental wellbeing should speak to their general practitioner in the first instance. The guidance can be accessed via the following link: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng100

Lung Cancer

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of lung cancer.

Steve Brine: NHS England is extending targeted lung health checks to clinical commissioning groups with high mortality rates and high incidence of lung cancer. In Greater Manchester, introducing low dose CT health checks saw an almost five-fold reduction in stage 4 disease, with 80% of cancers diagnosed at an early stage. A new cancer diagnosis standard, designed to ensure that patients find out within 28 days whether or not they have cancer, will be introduced in 2020. NHS England has published guidance for lung cancer on how to speed up the start of the pathway, to meet this new standard and to maximise the number of patients who might benefit from potentially curative surgery. The National Health Service has been asked to implement this pathway in Refreshing NHS Plans for 2018/19 (annual planning guidance). Transformation funding was provided to Cancer Alliances in 2018/19 to ensure the pathway will be implemented across England. Guidance on the best practice timed diagnosis pathways is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/rapid-cancer-diagnostic-and-assessment-pathways/

Suicide: Wirral

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data sources his Department uses to measure the number of attempted suicides in the (a) Birkenhead constituency and (b) Wirral local authority area.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Information on numbers of attempted suicides is not collected centrally.

Radiotherapy: Medical Treatments Abroad

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department spent on travel and accommodation for adults taking part in the NHS Proton Beam Therapy Service Overseas programme in (a) 2010, (b) 2015, (c) 2016 and (d) 2017.

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department spent on travel and accommodation for children taking part in the NHS Proton Beam Therapy Service Overseas programme in (a) 2010, (b) 2015, (c) 2016 and (d) 2017.

Steve Brine: NHS England’s financial data for the National Health Service Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) Service Overseas programme does not differentiate between adults and children. Data for 2010 data is unavailable as this is before the creation of NHS England. The costs per year from 2013/14 to 2017/18 are in the following table. Cost of PBT Overseas patients 2013/14 to 2017/18 (£ million)2013/142014/152015/162016/172017/18£9.13£12.63£20.81£24.51£22.75 This includes accommodation. Travel cost figures are available in the following table. It should be noted that figures are only available for 2016/17 and 2017/18. Cost of PBT Overseas patients travel 2013/14 to 2017/18 (£ thousand)2013/142014/152015/162016/172017/18   £0.44£0.50

Haematological Cancer: Medical Treatments

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information is provided by NHS England to patients with blood cancer on CAR-T cell therapies.

Steve Brine: Clinicians are uniquely placed to explain to individual patients what treatments might or might not benefit them, with reference to their circumstances. NHS England is working with providers, patient groups and manufacturers to ensure appropriate information is made available to help clinicians and patients make informed treatment decisions as Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell (CAR-T) therapy starts to be made available through the National Health Service.

Haematological Cancer: Medical Treatments

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS England news releases of 5 September and 5 October, when he plans to make CAR-T cell therapy available to (a) people aged under 25 with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and (b) adult patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma after two or more previous therapies have failed.

Steve Brine: NHS England is working with the manufacturers and National Health Service providers to prepare the NHS to begin delivering Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell (CAR-T) therapy - the first in a wave of treatments in a new era of personalised medicine and part of the NHS’s long-term plan to upgrade cancer service. The first treatment that will be available to patient is tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah) as an option for treating children and young people up to 25 years old with B cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia that is refractory, in relapsed post-transplant or in second or later relapse. NHS England anticipates that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will recommend this treatment for entry into the Cancer Drugs Fund in mid-November. If so, funding will be made immediately available, following a successful commercial deal with the manufacturer Novartis. We anticipate the first patients will begin their treatment in late November 2018. The phased implementation required by the manufacturer and the NHS means that full capacity to treat eligible patients will take some months to achieve and a National CAR-T Clinical Panel will convene in mid-November to assure equity of access and prioritise eligible patients.

Smoking: Health Services

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the effect of smoking cessation treatments on health inequalities in the UK; and if he will make an estimate of the relative uptake of smoking cessation treatments by socio-economic group.

Steve Brine: The Tobacco Control Plan 2017-2022 published last year commits the Government to reduce the inequality gap in smoking prevalence between those in routine and manual occupations and the general population. Smoking cessation treatment is one part of the comprehensive approach to tobacco control required to achieve this ambition.

Cancer: Screening

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 17 October 2018 to question 177403 on Cancer: Screening, whether patients and clinicians have access to Oncotype DX despite it not being included in the current version of the National Genomic Test Directory.

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 17 October 2018 to question 177404 on Breast Cancer: Screening, how often the National Genomic Test Directory is reviewed; and when it is planned to be reviewed and updated following the publication of the NICE guidance on tumour profiling which is planned by the end of 2018.

Steve Brine: Oncotype DX was excluded from the National Tariff from 2016/17 and to support access to it, NHS England entered into arrangements with providers to make this test available. Such arrangements are currently still in place. Since 2016, NHS England has put in place new genomic arrangements and infrastructure and intends to reflect the 2013 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines related to Oncotype DX in the National Genomic Test Directory for cancer. However, it is important to note that the NICE guidance relating to this intervention is under review and once a decision has been made, this information will be considered as part of the regular review and update of the Test Directory. The National Genomic Test Directory will be updated by NHS England on an annual basis through a clear and transparent process for the future evaluation of new genomic tests.

Clinical Waste: Slough

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether any medical and clinical waste from the NHS has been transported to the Grundon waste management site in Slough for incineration in the last 12 months.

Stephen Barclay: The Grundon waste management site in Slough has a clinical waste incinerator, which is fully permitted by the Environment Agency to burn medical and clinical waste from the National Health Service. As such the Grundon waste management site in Slough allows clinical waste to be incinerated on site.

Endoscopy

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of Clinical Commissioning Groups commissioned extra endoscopy capacity in (a) 2017-2018 (b) 2018-2019.

Steve Brine: Endoscopy capacity is a matter for local clinical commissioning groups. The information requested is not held centrally by the Department or NHS England.

Haematological Cancer: Medical Treatments

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timeframe is for (a) paediatric and (b) adult patients with blood cancer to access CAR-T cell therapies on the NHS.

Steve Brine: NHS England is working with the manufacturers and NHS providers to prepare the National Health Service to begin delivering Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell (CAR-T) therapy - the first in a wave of treatments in a new era of personalised medicine and part of the NHS’s long-term plan to upgrade cancer service. The first treatment that will be available to patient is tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah) as an option for treating children and young people up to 25 years old with B cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia that is refractory, in relapsed post-transplant or in second or later relapse. NHS England anticipates that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will recommend this treatment for entry into the Cancer Drugs Fund in mid-November. If so, funding will be made immediately available, following a successful commercial deal with the manufacturer Novartis. We anticipate the first patients will begin their treatment in late November 2018. The phased implementation required by the manufacturer and the NHS means that full capacity to treat eligible patients will take some months to achieve and a National CAR-T Clinical Panel will convene in mid-November to assure equity of access and prioritise eligible patients.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve treatment for people with Crohn's disease.

Steve Brine: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance ‘Crohn’s Disease Management in Adults, Children and Young People’, updated in 2016, sets out best practice in the diagnosis, treatment care and support of patients with the condition. Management options include drug therapy, dietary and lifestyle advice and, in severe or chronic active disease, surgery. The aim when treating Crohn’s disease is either to heal the inflammation and so reduce symptoms during a flare‑up ('inducing remission') or to prevent flare‑ups happening in the future ('maintaining remission'). Drug treatments can include steroids, immunosuppressants and biological medicines. For patients requiring complex surgery, NHS England specialised colorectal services nationally to support equity of access to high quality treatment for patients with Crohn’s disease. Since 2006, the Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) audit programme has supported work to improving the care of people with IBD. Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis are collectively known as IBD. Evidence of improvements in care during the time of the programme included the effective demonstration that biological therapies for the treatment of IBD are safe and effective drugs as well as wider improvement to support that patients received. The IBD audit programme was commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership, on behalf on NHS England, as part of the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme. The programme ended in March 2017 and its quality improvement initiatives have been transferred to the United Kingdom IBD Registry as the future vehicle for IBD audit and quality improvement.

Fibromyalgia

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people with fibromyalgia in each of the last five years.

Steve Brine: This information is not collected.

Diabetes: Orthopaedics

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many amputations were carried out as a result of Type 2 diabetes in each clinical commissioning group area in each of the last four years.

Steve Brine: Holding answer received on 01 November 2018



The data is not held in the format requested.

Doctors: Training

Trudy Harrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of funding additional domestic medical student places to meet growing NHS demand in (a) Cumbria and Lancashire and (b) England.

Stephen Barclay: The Government has announced a near record increase of an additional 1,500 medical school places for domestic students in England – 630 started this September, with a further 690 starting in 2019/20 and the final 180 in 2020/21. This expansion will also deliver five brand new medical schools in Sunderland, Lancashire, Chelmsford, Lincoln and Canterbury. This has meant an additional 171 places for domestic students in the North West, 81 of which started this September. On the back of the additional £20 billion additional National Health Service funding, NHS leaders are currently producing a long-term plan that will include proposals for the NHS workforce, training and leadership, which the Government will consider and respond to in due course.

Attorney General

Attorney General: Migrant Workers

Tom Brake: To ask the Attorney General, how many citizens of non-UK EU countries work in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies.

Robert Buckland: All Government Departments are bound by EU and UK requirements concerning right to work in the UK and, in addition, the Civil Service Nationality Rules. Documentary evidence of nationality is checked at the point of recruitment into the Civil Service as part of wider pre-employment checks. Neither the Attorney General’s Office, the Government Legal Department, Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate, the Crown Prosecution Service or the Serious Fraud Office record information on staff who are from non-UK EU countries.

Sexual Offences: Prosecutions

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Attorney General, what recent discussions he has had with the Director of Public Prosecutions on improving prosecutions in cases involving rape and other sexual offences.

Robert Buckland: The Attorney and I welcome Max Hill QC to his new position as Director of Public Prosecutions. As the sponsoring minister, the Attorney will continue to meet the DPP regularly to discuss performance. The CPS has undertaken extensive work over the last decade to ensure that specialist prosecutors are fully equipped to deal with the particular complexities of rape and serious sexual offences and the Code for Crown Prosecutors is properly applied. This includes understanding victim vulnerabilities and the impact of rape, as well as consent, myths and stereotypes, and the challenges of cases involving vulnerable witnesses and young people. To address the increasing complexity of cases featuring large volumes of digital material the CPS have introduced new guidance to help police and prosecutors with reasonable lines of enquiry and communications evidence. The National Disclosure Improvement Plan sets out further measures to make sustainable changes to the way in which disclosure duties are exercised.

Department for International Development

International Citizen Service

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding the Government plans to allocate to the International Citizen Service programme in each of the next five years.

Harriett Baldwin: DFID has allocated a budget of over £8.5 million to the International Citizen Service for the 2019/20 financial year. The planned budget for the following four financial years is yet to be confirmed.

Voluntary Work: Young People

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate her Department has made of the number of young people that will take part in the International Citizen Service in each of the next five years.

Harriett Baldwin: It is anticipated that 1,134 volunteers will take part in the International Citizen Service during 2019. The planned numbers of volunteers for the following four years are yet to be confirmed.

Department for Education

Department for Education: Migrant Workers

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many citizens of non-UK EU countries work in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies.

Anne Milton: The department does not hold information about how many people working in it or its agencies are citizens of non-UK EU countries. The department does not hold any information about the employees of its non-departmental public bodies.

Free School Meals

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to provide access to free school meals for disadvantaged children in year 3 and above (a) whose parents are undocumented migrants and (b) who are from other such migrant families with no recourse to public funds; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: For benefits-based free school meals, Section 512 of the Education Act 1996, as amended, places a duty on maintained schools, academies and free schools to provide free school meals to pupils of all ages that meet the criteria. I refer the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion to the answer I gave on 22 May 2018 to Question 143733. Where there is a child in need (for example, because the child is homeless or the parent cannot afford to meet the family's basic living needs), families with the no recourse to public funds condition are not prevented from getting additional help from their local authority's social services department. To establish eligibility for assistance, the local authority must undertake a child in need assessment.

Ministry of Justice

Ministry of Justice: Migrant Workers

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many citizens of non-UK EU countries work in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies.

Edward Argar: The MoJ does not collect data on the citizenship of MoJ employees. There is no requirement to record the nationality of staff employed by the department. While staff are not required to declare, self-declared national identity (British, English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh or Other) is recorded as part of the diversity questionnaire. All staff are encouraged to complete on our HR management system. All Government Departments are bound by EU and UK requirements concerning right to work in the UK and, in addition, the Civil Service Nationality Rules. Documentary evidence of nationality is checked at the point of recruitment into the Civil Service as part of wider pre-employment checks. The recruitment processes of Civil Service organisations are subject to audit by the Civil Service Commissioner. Management of such information is delegated to departments. There is no requirement on departments to retain this information beyond the point at which it has served its purpose.

Bail: Reoffenders

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been (a) charged and (b) convicted of an offence whilst on bail awaiting court  proceedings for each of the last five years.

Rory Stewart: It is not possible to identify from centrally held data the number of defendants that were charged or convicted of an offence whilst on bail as this data is not held by the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database.

Legal Aid Scheme: Ethnic Groups

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) women, (b) men and (c) people of BAME background were in receipt of (i) civil and (ii) criminal legal aid in each (A) year and (B) quarter since 2012.

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) civil legal help and (b) civil representation provider offices there were in each legal aid area in each quarter for which data is available since 2012.

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate has he made of the cost of determining the number and proportion of inquests at which legal aid was granted in each of the last six years.

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many total mediation (a) starts and (b) outcomes have there been in each year since 2012.

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many law centres offer legal aid in each region.

Lucy Frazer: 183907: This information is published annually by the Ministry of Justice and is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/720185/legal-aid-statistics-client-diversity-data-to-mar-2018.ods.183909: See attached ‘Annex B’183910: Figures on volumes and closed case costs for inquests are published quarterly by the Ministry of Justice and available at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/743382/legal-aid-statistics-civil-detail-data-apr-jun-2018.ods.183911: This information is published by the Ministry of Justice quarterly and is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/legal-aid-statistics-april-to-june-2018. Table 7.2 of the Legal aid statistics England and Wales tables April to June 2018 file contains starts and outcomes for legally aided family mediation both annually and quarterly for the period enquired about.183912:Legal Aid Agency Regional OfficeVolume of law centres offering legal aid1Birmingham7Brighton0Bristol3Cambridge3Cardiff0Leeds9Liverpool2London23Manchester5Newcastle0Nottingham9Reading0 1 As of June 2018Legal aid contracts are held across a broad base of providers, including Law Centres. Under the 2018 Standard Civil Contract, only 2% of the contracts issued are with Law Centres. A complete list of firms (including both Law Centres and those in private practice) which hold a legal aid contract is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/directory-of-legal-aid-providers, listing the number of providers broken down by area. This shows which other firms may provide legal aid services in those regions where a law centre does not operate.

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what he plans to publish the review of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

Lucy Frazer: The Lord Chancellor has confirmed that we shall conduct an evidence-based review of Part 1 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, assessing the changes to legal aid provision against their original objectives. The Government remains committed to publishing the findings of the review by the end of this year. The evidence gathering phase of the post-implementation review concluded at the end of September and we are currently considering the evidence submitted. During the evidence gathering phase we have engaged over 80 individuals and organisations.

Prisoners On Remand: Wales

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the remand rate in Wales was for a defendant categorised as (a) juvenile, (b) young adult and (c) adult in each year from 2013 to 2017.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the remand rate was in Wales in each year from 2013 to 2017 for (a) juvenile, (b) young adult, (c) adult and (d) uncategorised by age offenders in each year from 2013 to 2017.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the remand rate was in Wales for (a) male, (b) female and (c) uncategorised by sex offenders in each year from 2013 to 2017.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the remand rate was for defendants categorised as (a) white, (b) mixed ethnic, (c) Asian or Asian British including Chinese, (d) Black or Black British and (e) Chinese and uncategorised in Wales in each year from 2013 to 2017.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of defendants remanded in custody received an immediate custodial sentence of 12 months or more in Wales in each year from 2013 to 2017.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of defendants on bail received an immediate custodial sentence of 12 months or more in Wales in each year from 2013 to 2017.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of defendants not remanded received an immediate custodial sentence of 12 months or more in Wales in each year from 2013 to 2017.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many defendants remanded in custody in Wales received an immediate custodial sentence of (a) over 12 months, (b) 12 months, (c) between six and 12 months, (d) six months and (e) fewer than six months in each year from 2013 to 2017.

Rory Stewart: Remand rates by age, sex, ethnicity and custodial sentence can be calculated using the Remands: Magistrates’ Court and Remands: Crown Court data tools - Remands: Magistrates’ Court https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/733986/remands-magistrates-tool-2017-update.xlsx Remands: Crown Courthttps://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/733988/remands-crown-court-tool-2017-update.xlsx To limit the data to Wales, select Welsh Police forces from the ‘Police Force Area’ filter.

Convictions: Wales

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders in Wales convicted for indictable offences had a previous criminal history in each year from 2013 to 2017.

Rory Stewart: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Convictions: Wales

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders convicted in Wales had (a) zero, (b) one to six, (c) seven to 14 and (d) 15 or more previous criminal convictions or cautions in each year from 2013 to 2017.

Rory Stewart: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Trials: Wales

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) guilty and (b) not guilty pleas were entered by defendants appearing at Crown Court in Wales in each year from 2013 to 2017.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of guilty pleas that were entered by defendants accused of (a) violence against a person or persons, (b) sexual offences, (c) robbery, (d) theft offences, (e) criminal damage and arson, (f) drug offences, (g) possession of a weapon or weapons, (h) public order offences, (i) miscellaneous crimes against society, (j) fraud offences, (k) summary offences involving motoring and (l) summary offences not involving motoring in Wales from 2013 to 2017.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of not guilty pleas that were entered by defendants accused of (a) violence against a person or persons, (b) sexual offences, (c) robbery, (d) theft offences, (e) criminal damage and arson, (f) drug offences, (g) possession of a weapon or weapons, (h) public order offences, (i) miscellaneous crimes against society, (j) fraud offences, (k) summary offences involving motoring and (l) summary offences not involving motoring in Wales from 2013 to 2017.

Lucy Frazer: The number of guilty and not guilty pleas in Wales at Crown Court, broken down by offence type, in each year from 2013 to 2017 can be found in the tables provided.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 14.09 KB)

Trials: Wales

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many defendants remanded in custody at a magistrates’ court  (a) received an immediate custodial sentence, (b) received a non-custodial sentence, (c) failed to appear, and (d) were acquitted in Wales from 2013 to 2017.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many defendants remanded in custody at Crown Court in Wales in each year from 2013 to 2017 (a) received an immediate custodial sentence, (b) received a non-custodial sentence, (c) failed to appear, and (d) were acquitted.

Lucy Frazer: Both the above PQs can be answered using the following published data tools from the Criminal Justice Statistics: December 2017 report (published May 2018):Remands: Magistrates’ Court https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/733986/remands-magistrates-tool-2017-update.xlsxRemands: Crown Court https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/733988/remands-crown-court-tool-2017-update.xlsxTo limit the data to Wales in the above tools, select Welsh Police forces from the ‘Police Force Area’ filter. Outcomes of those remanded in custody can be determined using the ‘Outcome’ filter.

Legal Aid Scheme

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much of the proposed additional money for the Advocates' Graduated Fee scheme the Government plans to allocate from (a) existing Ministry of Justice and (b) new Treasury funding.

Lucy Frazer: Holding answer received on 01 November 2018



Additional funding for the Advocates’ Graduated Fee Scheme forms part of the wider funding discussions the department is having with HM Treasury.

Ministry of Defence

International Military Services: Parliamentary Scrutiny

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral contribution of the former hon. Member for Rhondda of 19 June 1990, Official Report columns 807-98, what steps his Department has taken to tackle concerns about the effect of the structure of International Military Services on the ability of parliamentarians to scrutinise its operations, assets and liabilities.

Stuart Andrew: As a private limited company, International Military Services Ltd are not subject to any additional parliamentary scrutiny over any other private limited company.The Annual Report and Financial Statements of International Military Services Ltd identify its operations, assets and liabilities. This information is freely available to parliamentarians and the public at the link below:https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/00924462

Armed Forces: Coroners

Martin Docherty-Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 31 October 2016 and follow-up correspondence of 9 January 2017 to Question 49923 on Armed Forces: Coroners, if he will publish the pre- and post-Section 104 Order protocols between the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Defence, the Scottish Government and the Chief Coroner on dealing with military deaths in Scotland.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Ministry of Defence officials will consult the organisations who are a party to the protocol and I will write to the hon. Member once that consultation on publication has taken place.

Appledore Shipyard

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions his Department has held with Babcock on securing the future of Appledore shipyard.

Stuart Andrew: While the future of Appledore is a matter for Babcock, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has remained closely engaged with the company on this issue. Together with MOD officials, both the Secretary of State for Defence and I have met Babcock to explore potential options. This included bringing forward a potential £60 million package of work at Devonport, thereby providing additional work for Appledore workers. However, our discussions with Babcock established that this work would not be enough to secure the long-term future of the yard.Regrettably, Babcock has now stated that it has reached a point where it can no longer sustain the cost of its operations at Appledore. This is clearly a concerning time for Appledore employees and their families and, while Babcock will offer all those affected other positions, the Government is standing by to provide any additional support.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Gambling

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many recipients of universal credit are classified as problem gamblers.

Alok Sharma: The information is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit: Mental Illness

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with mental illness will be moved to universal credit under the managed migration regulations.

Alok Sharma: All claimants will eventually move onto Universal Credit. However, managed migration will begin in 2019 with small-scale testing to ensure that the process works well. No more than 10,000 people will be migrated in 2019, before we take on larger volumes from 2020 onwards, completing the process in 2023. We are aware that some claimants will have a mental illness: some we will know about through an ESA claim, for example, whilst others may not have shared the information. That is why we are co-designing our migration processes with partner organisations and stakeholders, to ensure that we create the best possible processes for all of our claimants.

Department for Work and Pensions: Migrant Workers

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many citizens of non-UK EU countries work in (a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies.

Justin Tomlinson: a) Documentary evidence of nationality is checked at the point of recruitment into the Department as part of our wider pre-employment checks to ensure that individuals meet Civil Service Nationality Rules. This information is not retained beyond the point at which it has served its purpose. The Department’s staff are not required to record whether they are citizens of non-UK EU countries. (b) The Department does not have any agencies on which to report. (c) DWP has four non departmental public bodies. Documentary evidence of nationality is checked at the point of recruitment and this information is not retained beyond the point at which it has served its purpose. Individuals are not required to record whether they are citizens of non-UK EU countries.

Universal Credit

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of claimants of employment support allowance that will be classified as vulnerable as a result of the managed migration to universal credit.

Alok Sharma: There are many reasons why someone could be vulnerable or in need of additional support, and we work hard to ensure that the support we provide for each claimant is tailored specifically to their circumstances, making individual assessments of the help that each claimant needs. This will also be true of the migration process which will begin in 2019, with small-scale testing of up to 10,000 claimants to ensure our process works well before the volume of migration increases. We are committed to ensuring that all claimants and particularly the most vulnerable are fully supported through the migration process. Many claimants will be better off on Universal Credit, as currently over £2.4bn of legacy benefits remains unclaimed. Universal Credit will ensure (through the managed migration regulations which will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny later this autumn) that 700,000 more households, including those who are vulnerable, will receive the money they are entitled to. More severely disabled people will also receive higher payments under Universal Credit, with around 1 million disabled households gaining on average about £110 more per month. Transitional protection payments will also ensure that no-one loses out at the point of transition to Universal Credit under the managed migration process.

Universal Credit

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many hours of training are planned to be undertaken by her Department's work coaches to identify people that (a) are vulnerable and (b) have complex needs in relation to the managed migration of universal credit.

Alok Sharma: Work coaches delivering Universal Credit undergo comprehensive training designed to equip them with the tools, skills and behaviours required to provide a high quality service to all claimants. Specific training and guidance is provided for working with different vulnerable groups and those with complex needs.We are providing all work coaches with an additional two day workshop, designed by experts in mental health and psychologists, and delivered where possible alongside external mental health partners. The training began in November 2017 and will be completed by end of March 2019. Some further examples of other learning currently undertaken by work coaches include:Introduction to Working with Customers with a Mental Health Condition – 6 hoursDrugs and Alcohol Awareness – 3 hoursComplex Needs – 4 ½ hoursThe draft regulations provide the flexibility and fail-safes to protect vulnerable claimants and those with complex needs. Earlier this month we held a large scale stakeholder event, engaging with over 70 organisations, including those representing vulnerable claimant groups, seeking their detailed input on the managed migration process. We are designing a process that works well for everyone and ensures a smooth transition with continuous support.

Universal Credit

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has allocated additional funding for the home visiting service in advance of managed migration to universal credit.

Alok Sharma: This year we have allocated £1 million of funding for the home visiting service. For 2019/20 the total fund allocated will rise to just under £2 million, and will continue to increase to over £5.5 million per year by 2023/24, as the number of claimants moving to Universal Credit under the managed migration process increases.

State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the state pensions of UK pensioners living in the EEA will continue to be up-rated annually after the UK leaves the EU; and if she will make a statement.

Guy Opperman: The UK State Pension will remain payable worldwide following our departure from the EU. We have now reached agreement with the EU to maintain State Pension up-rating for those covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, subject to reciprocity. This information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-the-position-of-eu-citizens-in-the-uk-and-uk-nationals-in-the-eu For UK State Pension recipients living in the EU on the specified date, this includes those who are already receiving their UK State Pension as well as future UK State Pension recipients. We will wish to discuss State Pension up-rating for individuals not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement in future talks. We are currently in discussion with the EEA-EFTA states (Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein) and Switzerland on agreements to protect the rights of UK nationals living in those countries and their nationals living in the UK.

Personal Independence Payment: Mental Illness

Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether health professionals undertaking personal independence payment assessments for people with mental health issues are required to have a qualification in mental health.

Sarah Newton: The Department requires Health Professionals to achieve approval status following broad training in disability analysis, as well as training in specific conditions, including mental health, multiple and complex conditions. This training is developed by the providers who engage with stakeholders and charities, and regularly review the material to ensure it remains current. The training delivers understanding of multiple mental health conditions and the impact they are likely to have on an individual’s ability to function. In addition, Mental Health Champions support Health Professionals to ensure they deliver quality assessments to customers with mental health conditions.

Housing Benefit

Ms Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much discretionary housing payment funding in 2019-20 is planned to be targeted at households affected by the benefit cap.

Ms Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to retain the current formula for determining the allocation of discretionary housing payment funding to local authorities for households affected by the benefit cap.

Justin Tomlinson: We are currently considering how the total Discretionary Housing Payment allocation for 2019/20 will be distributed to Local Authorities. As part of this work my officials routinely review the methodology each year to ensure it continues to provide the fairest way to allocate the funding to Local Authorities. We will be consulting local authorities about their individual allocations in due course.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Nature Conservation

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Government's 25 Year Environment Plan, what provision there is for short-term protection of (a) bats and (b) other species with life spans of five to eight years; and what steps he plans to take to increase protection for mature hedgerows from developers.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: A wide variety of species are afforded protection under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations (2017) and under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, including all species of bat found in this country. All listed species are covered irrespective of their expected lifespan, which is not a criterion in identifying the need for protection of a species. Legal protection for hedgerows is provided by the Hedgerows Regulations 1997. These regulations prohibit the removal of most countryside hedgerows (or parts of them) without first seeking approval from the local planning authority, which is required to decide whether a hedgerow is ‘important’ because of its wildlife, landscape, historical (i.e. more than 30 years old) or archaeological value and as such should not be removed.

Agriculture: Seasonal Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's policy is on the provision of financial support to farmers that are unable to hire seasonal workers in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a no deal.

George Eustice: We firmly believe it is in the interests of both the EU and the UK to strike a deal, and we remain confident we will agree a mutually advantageous deal with the EU. We do not want or expect a no deal scenario. It is however the duty of a responsible Government to continue to prepare for a range of potential outcomes including the unlikely event of no deal. Defra are taking necessary steps to ensure the country continues to operate smoothly from the day we leave. Defra understands the importance of seasonal labour in supporting a successful and effective agricultural sector, and is considering how best to support the needs of the sector both before and after the UK leaves the EU. Defra is working closely with the Home Office to ensure that there is a long term strategy for the food and farming workforce as part of the future immigration policy. The Government will introduce a new pilot scheme for 2019 and 2020 enabling up to 2500 non-EEA migrant workers to come to the UK to undertake seasonal employment in the edible horticultural sector.

Home Office

Police: North East

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the levels of police funding in (a) Sunderland and (b) the North-East.

Mr Nick Hurd: We undertook a substantial piece of work to assess demand in 2017 in which I spoke to leaders in all forces in England and Wales and also many frontline officers. I understand that forces are under pressure. We recognise that crime is changing and that police demand is becoming increasingly complex.We responded by providing a comprehensive funding settlement which will increase total investment in the police system by over £460m in 2018/19. This includes £50m for Counter-Terrorism, £130m for national priorities and £280m in force funding from increases in Council Tax precept income. In Northumbria this means that the PCC could raise an additional £5.3m in local funding this year.

Northern Ireland Office

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 26 October 2018 to Question 182842 on Police Service of Northern Ireland: Staff, how many additional officers the Police Service of Northern Ireland has identified as being required by that service in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The PSNI has submitted a case for additional resources to HM Treasury. That bid is currently under consideration.

Equality Commission for Northern Ireland

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland's budget was in each of the last five years; and how much was spent in each year on legal proceedings.

Karen Bradley: I do not have a role in setting the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland’s budget or monitoring the spend on legal proceedings. Responsibility for the Equality Commission’s functions and powers is devolved; it is sponsored by the Executive Office in Northern Ireland, which approves its budget. As the Commission operates independently from Government you may wish to write directly to the Commission’s Chief Executive, and Accounting Officer, on the matters relating to the use of resources.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Migrant Workers

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many citizens of non-UK EU countries work in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies.

Margot James: At 1st October 2018 the number of staff declaring their national identity as that of a non-UK EU country was 32. All Government Departments are bound by EU and UK requirements concerning right to work in the UK and, in addition, the Civil Service Nationality Rules. Documentary evidence of nationality is checked at the point of recruitment into the Civil Service as part of wider pre-employment checks. However DCMS does not hold this information centrally and staff declare their national identity voluntarily. Therefore this figure will not be a true representation of the workforce as a whole. We do not hold the information requested centrally for b) and C) and to obtain it would incur a disproportionate cost.

Internet: Liability

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the announcement made by the Prime Minister in January 2018, when his Department plans to complete its assessment of the modifications required to the online liability regime in the UK.

Margot James: As part of the Internet Safety Strategy, DCMS has been reviewing the liability that intermediaries have for illegal content that they host. We will set out out plans in the winter in the forthcoming Online Harms White Paper.

Social Media: Disclosure of Information

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many social media companies complied with the September 2018 deadline to supply data to support the publication of the first Annual Transparency Report.

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he plans to publish the Annual Social Media Transparency Report.

Margot James: We have engaged with a number of companies who have supplied information which we are using to inform our future approach to transparency reporting. Further details of this work will be set out in our forthcoming Online Harms White Paper.